Steam-escape fixture for machine-gun water-jackets.



'F. D. SILLOWAY.

STEAM EsCAPE ErxunE ECR MACHINE CUN WATER JACKETS. APPLicAT'ioN FILED DEC.21, ma. 1,294,349, Patented Feb. 1-1, 1919.

FREDERICK D. SILLOWAY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ESCAPE FIXTURE FOR MACHINE-GUN WATER-JACKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed December 211 1918. Serial No. 267,872.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883` 22 STAT. L., 625.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. SILLO- wAY, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Springfield, Illinois, and stationed at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in Steam-Escape Fixtures for Machine-Gun Water-Jackets, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to devices for releasing-the steam generated within the water jacket of a machine gun and refers more particularly to automatic steam fixtures therefor.

It is usual to provide a water jacket about a machine gun barrel and to provide therein a longitudinally extending steam escape tube positioned adjacent the uppermost portion of the jacket. This tube is perforated on its upper side adjacent each end and has 4connection at the front end with an outlet pipe. When water is introduced into the jacket, said perforations in the tube establish the water level within the jacket in a well known and obvious manner. When the gun is elevated or depressed at its forward end, the water' will remain level and one of said perforations in the steam tube will be submersed, whereupon it will be readily seen that the water from the jacket would normally escape through the outlet pipe.

In order to close the submerged perforation in the steam tube, thus to prevent the escape of water from the jacket, and to allow the other of said perforations to remain open to provide a steam outlet from the jacket, a steam escape mechanism is provided to control the ports in said tube.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective device of the foregoing character by means of which the ports lof the steam tube in a machine gun jacket may be automatically controlled, so that the lowermost of said ports will be closed and the uppermost opened simultaneously upon the change of position of the machine gun with respect to the water level within the jacket.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with other important objects to be referred to herein, my invent-ion comprises the new and useful details of construction and arrangement, which will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the annexed drawings, and pointedout more specically in the appendedv claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, like reference characters refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical fragmentary section of a machine gun jacket showing the steam escape device, of my invention in place therein.

Fig. 2 is 'a cross section of the steam tube front fixture of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my steam tube front fixture, illustrating a modified form of embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings, the cylindrical jacket about the gun barrel of the machine gun is designated by numeral 5, the forward end being closed by the end cap 6 and the rear end by the trunnion block 7.

The steam escape unit comprises the steam tube 8 to which is attached at its forward end the steam tube front fixture 1l and at its rear end the steam tube rear fixture 11. Fixture 1l is pressed into the steam tube front plug 9, the end cap 6 being perforated and threaded to receive the plug. The rear fixture 11 is provided with tapered rear plug 19 adapted to enter a recessed supporting boss 10 on the forward face of the trunnion block positioned to center steam tube in alinement with the perforation in the end cap, shoulder 20 being provided to limit the travel of the plug into recessed boss 10, upon assembly. A perforation 13 is provided through the walls of fixture 11 and front plug 9 in position to register with the steam outlet opening in the end caps.

Fixture 11 is provided with a steam escape port and passage 12 leading from the upper side of the fixture to the interior thereof and a seat 14 is `provided at the inner end of said passage. 4A. ball valve 17 is adapted to sea-t on said valve seat, the valve being adapted to move longitudinally of the fixture upon ribs 16 fixed radially of the valve seat. The passage longitudinally through the fixture is designated by numeral 15 and extends around and below the valve seat between the aforesaid ribs 16.

The rear fixture 11 is yprovided with a steam inlet port and passage 12 leading to the valve seat 14 and a. ball valve 17" is adapted to engage said seat and to move lon- 'ter within the jacket.

ters Patent, is

gitudinally` of said fixture on lribs 16, as previously described with respect to fixture 11. It will be readily seen that when the forward end of the machine gun is elevated, port 12 will becomesubmersed in the wa- Upon this tilted conditionof the gun and steam tube, ball 17 will move rearwardly on the ribs 16 and becomefunseated from the valve seat 14, thus opening port 12. Likewise, ball17 will Vmove rearwardly and engage seat 14 of the -fixture 11,'thus closingport 12. Port`124 thus being closed, Water within theY jacket Y will be prevented froml entering the steamV l tube, while port 12 being open and aboveV VYthe water level, Vsteam may'enter thev tube therethrough and thusy -be conducted to theV steamoutlet through opening 13. Y It willslikewise be apparent that as the i rear of the Ygun isrelevated above the forward end, balls 17 and 17 willA move forward, closing theforward port `12 and open-V ing-'the rear por-t 12', thus Vallowing thees- Ycape of'steamthrough YportV 12", tube 8 andl passage 15 infixture 11 to tlie'escape'pipe in the end cap.

. V,In'or'derV tolnsureinstant action ofthe"Y V*valves and `also to insure the 'effective co- 1 action thereof, VI provide afconnectinghrod 18 Vto be fixed lto'each 'of said ballrvalves.V Y The addedweightofthe rood will insure the [instant-V action of thevalve'supon the shiftf Yi'ngfof the gun, and"insurethessiinultaneous Y openingof"oneV valve'uponthe,closing of the Yot'her,thusV to prevent. accident should fthe'valves fail to respond in unison.V

""lnmFigB, I have illustratedmy device 'without the incorporation therewith of the connecting rod, thetravel of the ball` 17 from Vitsiseat 14 'being limited by engagement of the b'allfwith the end ofste'amtubeV 8.; From the foregoing descriptiomit willrbe, f seen' that. my Ydevice provides asimpleand Y. Aeecti've Ameans for automatically openingv Y vand closingthe ports Vin a steamescape tube f Vfor a machine gun,sothat the'lowermost of j f said'portsgwill be'closedv and the uppermost;

opened juponA the change of elevation of the 'gul' 'i v Y 'i Y Y Having thus describedjmyinvention, what i Inclaim as newand. desireto protectbyfLetfY i AV steam escapestube formachine ,gun'f l water jackets fcomprising spacedapart inlet f port's' having valveseats onthe interior Yof 'theY tube, and valves positionedA to'fgravitate'Y fftowardV andffromV said seats'ltov simultanefV l ouslyiopen theY uppermost of *said` ports and close the lowermost `thereof uponthe vchange i Y i i t 1' f f said'inlet valve' seats'a'nd'clo'se the lowermost v`'thereofupontliechange of'levelfof Vthe gun.

Y a valveon each end in position'to Vsimultaneously open the uppermost of said ports and close theflowermost thereof upon the change of level of the gun. Y A

3. A steam escape device for machine gun water jackets comprising a steam tube unit extendinglongitudinally within thejacket and leading to an outlet pipe, an inlet port adjacentV each end of'said'unit leading to the interior thereof, valve seats on the v:inner graafitate toward' and from said seats to simultaneously open the'uppermost of said A ports and close the lowermost thereof upon ends of said ports,"and valves positioned to waterV jackets-comprising aY steam tube'unit Y i Y extending longitudinally within the jacket and leading toV an outlet pipe, an inlet port adjacent each-end of saidl unit leading to YV the interior thereof, valveseats on the inner ends of1said"ports, and ball VVvalves positioned togravitate towardfand from said seats to simultaneously open thefuppermost of said ports and close the lowermost thereof upon change of levelof the gun.

` 5. AV steaml escape' device for machinegun water'ijackets comprising asteam tube unit extending longitudinally within lthe jacket and leading to an outlet pipe, an inlet port adjacent each endof said unit leadingto the interiorthereof, valve'Y seats'on the inner ends of said ports, and Va valve rod adapted toV gravitate longitudinally lofthe tube unit and comprising a yvalve oneach end posi-1 tioned to simultaneously open the uppermost ofy said ports and'closeth'e lowermost thereof upon the change'of leveljof the gun.

6'. A steam escape device for'machine gun water jackets comprising spaced-apart inlet fixtures havingvalveseats, ya pipe connectingjrsaidffixtures, one of said! ixturesrhav-Y lng an outlet connectionfor steam, and Y gravitate'longitudinally within Ythe pipe and YVvalves positioned Vto gravitatevtowa'rd 'and from said seats to simultaneously 'uncoverv the uppermost of said seats'and closetheV 'lowermost thereof upon the change of level Y 77. steun"tube` for' machine Y gun Vwater A' j ackets comprising isp acedY apart inletV fix- -t'ure's :havingzvalve seatsna pipe connecting JsaidY'ixturea'oneeof said fixtures havinglan outlet Vconnecting with( the Vsteam 'outletpipeY 1j from the'j acket, and 'a valverod adapted to Y Y Y Y Y Y12,0

comprising ajvalve on eachfend in' positionV "to`VV simultaneously open--itheuppermostV of Y' Y 

